It was good to see Black Guillemot last week up in Scotland. I had the feeling numbers were down as they had vacated several areas where previously they had been present. However, these are probably the most social and endearing of the Auk family … yes even more endearing than Puffins.

A break from the motorway traveling north last month saw us pulling out of the services around the usual myriad of mini roundabouts. A casual glance into a lorry park made me take one of the roundabouts again to take a better look. One of the lorry drivers was sharing his sandwiches with a flock of domestic geese but it was a goose on the outside of the flock that grabbed my attention.

It was a Pinkfoot. Now, you tell me, what was a Pink-footed Goose doing at a service station on the A74? I pulled over and we took a few photographs, the moment being immortalised by Pauline Walton, one of my guests. I’m guessing the goose had suffered some injury on its way back north this spring and had taken allegiance with its domesticated brethren. In fact one of the wings looked a little damaged although it appeared in tact and didn’t appear pinioned.